The element sodium, represented by the atomic symbol Na, has an atomic number of 11. Sodium was first isolated in 1807 by Sir Humphrey Davy by passing an electric current through molten sodium hydroxide. In nature, elemental sodium does not occur, but rather can be extracted from naturally occurring sodium compounds.
Sodium, in an excited state, produces light, and sodium vapor can be used to make lamps. Because such lamps are efficient and produce less light pollution than mercury vapor lamps, they are a popular choice for city street lighting. I chose to do a print featuring sodium vapor lamps, since they are a common feature of city life.
There were a few setbacks when making the linoleum plate. Deciding how to depict varying levels of light and darkness was a challenge, but eventually things worked themselves out. Designing the image was the most interesting part of the project, though if I were to do the project again, I would have used a different method of showing the difference between the road and sky.
Sodium, in an excited state, produces light, and sodium vapor can be used to make lamps. Because such lamps are efficient and produce less light pollution than mercury vapor lamps, they are a popular choice for city street lighting. I chose to do a print featuring sodium vapor lamps, since they are a common feature of city life.
There were a few setbacks when making the linoleum plate. Deciding how to depict varying levels of light and darkness was a challenge, but eventually things worked themselves out. Designing the image was the most interesting part of the project, though if I were to do the project again, I would have used a different method of showing the difference between the road and sky.